Getting to Grips with Gummies: The secrets to producing the perfect CBD gummy supplement

Caroline Brochard-Garnier, Director, Rousselot

2020 sawcannabidiol (CBD) productsgrowfrom a niche trend to a well-established health and wellness category worth over 800 million USD globally.Meanwhile, demand for nutraceutical gummies as a delivery format is on the rise. Almost two thirds of global adult shoppers state they are attracted to gummy-based supplements, while the functional confectionery market is forecasted to grow by 4.1 percent over the next three years.Producers of CBD nutraceuticalshave already startedexpanding into the functional gummy space, but with emerging opportunitiescome new obstacles to overcome.Nutraceutical gummies are an effectivedelivery format, however creating products that are as functional as they are convenient and appetizing can be challenging.Here, Caroline Brochard-Garnier

Director Communications & PR, Rousselot,breaks down the factorsbrands should consider when producing functionalgummies, and the innovative gelatin concepts that can help deliver safe, effective and excitingCBD products.

1. Avoiding cross-contamination

With their attractive taste profiles, melt-in-the-mouth texture and wide array of colors and shapes, functional gummiestransform dietary supplements from a necessity to a treat. The traditional starch-molding production process used for these familiar favoriteshowever, presents a challenge for functional products, where the risk of cross-contamination must be minimized to ensure purity. To address this issue, Rousselot has developed the advanced gelatin conceptSiMoGel.This solution allowsthe gummy mixtureto be deposited into hygienic silicone or metal trays, or directly into blister packs for a seamless, safe production processwithout the need to recycle starch molds batch after batch.

“To stand out in an increasingly crowded market, producers must develop solutions that offer an engaging sensory experience, as well as a range of functional benefits”

Unlike any other gelatin excipient currently available on the market, SiMoGel also enables the creation of liquid-centrenutraceutical gummies, otherwise known as ‘gummy caps’. Offering a novel, multitextured delivery format to excite adventurous consumers, these gummy caps are ideally suited to CBD formulations - allowing the cannabidiol oil to remain liquid at the centre of the gummy for faster release and a more enjoyable consumption experience.

2. Ensuring accurate medicating     

Another challenge commonly faced by nutraceutical gummy producers is medicating accuracy.

Achieving a stable and high active ingredient content can be difficult in gummy applications, while the heat required during their production can lead to Active Pharmaceutical Ingredient (API) degradation.

This issue is especially important when creating CBD products, where specific potency levels are required to address unique health and wellness issues. Again, the stableliquid center of gummy caps made withSiMoGel^, helps address this challenge by allowing for higher dosage formulations without the risk of adverse interaction with the base gummy mixture. With a tightly managed, lower processing temperature, these center-filled gummies also ensure functional ingredients remain at their full potency, for completely accurate medication.

3. Developing desirable solutions, faster

While CBD is becoming a more mainstream trend, consumers are still looking for new and exciting ways to meet their health goals. To stand out in an increasingly crowded market, producers mustdevelop solutions that offer an engaging sensory experience, as well as a range of functional benefits.The silicone or metal molding method offered by the latest gelatin ingredients opens up an endless combination of colors, textures and3D shapes that are not possible with traditional starch molded gummies. What’s more,SiMoGel based gummies, including center-filled gummy caps offer a drastically reduced gelling time of just 15 minutes, helping boost production efficiency, save valuable storage space and allowbrands to quickly pivot production to keep up with ever-changing market trends.

The current generation of gelatin solutions is helping producers create CBD solutions consumers can enjoy with confidence.